


sacrifice

by lester_sheehan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Multi, Red Queen - Freeform, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 07:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5082841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lester_sheehan/pseuds/lester_sheehan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 5x05. Just a little drabble between Regina, Emma and Ruby, wherein the fury returns.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sacrifice

She’s never realised just how dangerous the forest could be. For years, she’s wandered through it late at night, when the moon was no more than a thin crescent in the sky. There was no-one with a particularly violent nature in Storybrooke- except for herself, that is- and so, what could she possibly have feared?

It’s cold outside, and she’s wrapped in a long black coat, a scarf woven tightly around her neck. Leaves crunch beneath her feet, breaking the silence, and an owl sounds in the distance. 

Sighing, she lowers herself down onto a log, placing her head within her palms. But the solitude doesn’t last for long. Like a bullet through water, a tremendous shriek cuts into the night, resonating throughout her entire body. She’s heard the sound before. She knows what it belongs to. She knows what it wants.

And so when she looks up, fireball already gathering in the centre of her palm, flames flickering like distant stars- more a force of habit than a considered reaction- she simply smiles. The blaze disintegrates, fading gently; a bitter laugh escapes her lips. 

For one fleeting moment, the demon seems taken aback by her movement. And then it lunges. 

Fingers dig into her neck like spears, and she can feel the warm trickle of blood on her chest. It runs over her heart, splitting it in two, her breathing shallow and rapid. Her knees buckle, but then she’s thrown aside, head crashing against the forest ground. It’s weakening her, slowly ensuring that she can’t fight back.

She wouldn’t if she could. 

Mud fills her mouth and she instantly starts spluttering, but then the creature’s claws are around her shoulders, piercing flesh once again. She feels herself being lifted from the ground, head lulling to the side, before a bright light engulfs the clearing. Before she knows what’s happening, the claws are retracted viciously, tearing skin, and a large weight collides with her side. A sickening thump echoes around her. 

Once she begins to gather her bearings, eyes adjusting to the returning darkness, Regina realises that she’s lying amongst the leaves, a searing pain travelling through her body. She grunts and turns onto her back.

“I see you thought it would be a good night to die.” Emma’s standing over her, arms crossed; on her face, a nonchalant expression remains. “I suppose you’ve realised by now that this wasn’t your wisest idea- not that you’ve had a lot of those.” 

Regina grimaces, pushing herself into a sitting position. “And why would you care?” Her gaze flits around the clearing. The fury is nowhere to be seen. 

“I don’t.” The words spill out of Emma’s mouth just a little too quickly. She walks closer to Regina, towering over her. “But that doesn’t mean I need you dead.” She studies her nails. “Yet.” 

There’s a moment of silence and then Regina’s coughing again, bile making its way up her throat. The need to be sick overwhelms her but she pushes it back, struggling to her feet. She’s opposite Emma now, in a futile attempt to appear stronger than she is. “Great,” she spits, voice shaking. “I’m going home.”

“That’s it?” Emma calls from behind her. “No ‘thank you’?” 

Regina stops in her tracks, hands balled into fists. “Your help wasn’t necessary.”

“Didn’t look like that from where I was standing.”

“Which begs the question- _Miss Swan_ \- exactly why were you watching me?”

Emma doesn’t answer, instead leans one foot against a nearby tree and rests against the bark. “Surely you didn’t think it was over?” she says, and Regina wants nothing more than to wipe the smirk from her face. “If I were you, I’d hurry up and make that sacrifice.”

Breathing in deeply, fighting against every bone in her body, Regina turns and meets Emma’s eyes. “A little hard to do when someone keeps interrupting,” she says.

The forest seems to still. Emma raises her eyebrows. “You were going to sacrifice yourself?”

“You think I wouldn’t?”

“You still don’t get it, do you? I knew you couldn’t be the saviour, because you’d already tried." Emma takes a step towards her, intimidatingly close. "And failed." Regina raises her chin. “Give up.”

They’re both still heated from the previous night, the events on the porch rattling through their minds. Regina forgets the current argument, anger fading, and her head tilts slightly as she says, “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Save me.”

Emma’s face drops, but just for a moment- Regina almost misses it- as she stares at something behind Regina’s head, a memory long passed and one that only she remembers. “I have my reasons, Regina, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to share them just yet.”

“I told you last night: you can still come back from this.” She’s pressing now, refuses to accept that this change is permanent.

Gaze falling to the floor, a thin coating of tears shines in Emma’s eyes- barely there before they’re blinked away. “That’s where you’re wrong.” There’s a pause. “I can’t.” 

“Fine!” Regina snaps, arms at her sides. “Play the villain. But just know that you are only making things worse for yourself.”

With a whip of Emma’s hand, Regina’s held up against a tree, fighting against the invisible grip; her bones are aching and her skin is burning, ablaze against the restraints. Emma’s face is inches from her own, teeth grit, as she says, “This is who I am now. You would do good to remember that.”

But then she’s knocked away, thrown sideways, as her hold slackens and Regina falls to her knees. Eyes wide, Emma immediately gets to her feet, hands outstretched, ready to attack. And when she sees who’s standing between herself and Regina, she can’t hide the surprise on her face. “Ruby?”

Her former friend is panting heavily, cape hanging loosely from her neck. She looks Emma up and down, sadness etched onto her features. “Well, what happened to you?”

Upon hearing a small cough, Emma looks to Regina: she’s stood herself back up now, one arm pressed against the tree for support. Her mouth parts slightly at the sight, at the realisation of what she’s just done. “I could ask you the same thing,” she says, before disappearing in a cloud of ash-like smoke. 

The minute she’s gone, Ruby turns to Regina, quizzically tilting her head. “I’ve missed a lot, huh?” she says, in an attempt to lighten the situation. It doesn’t work.

“Yes. I suppose you have.” Regina runs her hands down her coat, brushes a strand of hair from her face. “Without you thinking I care, is there any reason as to why you disappeared? Or did you just get bored of being the town pup?”

Ruby takes a step back. “Hey, I just helped you there.”

With a sigh, Regina looks to the ground. “I’m sorry,” she says. “That was… uncalled for.”

Ruby shrugs, more than willing to overlook it. “You’re pretty knocked up. I smelt the blood while on my way over to Granny’s.” Sensing that Regina cares very little to discuss it, she moves closer and smiles. “Don’t worry, I won’t pry. But I reckon you should get that seen to.” She motions to the mess that is now Regina’s neck. 

“I’m fine,” Regina says, pulling her scarf over the wound. “But I’d appreciate it if you could keep this little ordeal to yourself.”

Ruby brings her hand to her head in a form of mock salute. “Got it.” The smile falls slightly as she turns and says, “Look out for yourself,” before disappearing amongst the trees, much like an apparition, as though she’d never been there at all. 

It’s the last time Regina goes into the forest alone.


End file.
